Gold, dollar smuggling case: Kerala Congress chief demands CM Vijayan's resignation

After Customs' show-cause notice named Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in the alleged smuggling of dollars to UAE using official channels, Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee President K Sudhakaran on Wednesday demanded resignation from the chief minister.

Terming the Kerala high court stay as a setback to the government, the Kerala Congress chief said, "The state government is ignorant about its rights. The ED is a central agency and the state does not have the right to probe against it. The Constitution has clearly listed the rights and duties of State and Central governments. There is no provision in the Constitution to register a case against ED by a state government."

Further, bringing in an episode when Vijayan was CPI(M) state secretary, Sudhakaran said going by the same dictum, Kerala Chief Minister should tender his resignation, based on the fresh findings by the Customs.

"During the Solar case in the previous Congress regime, Pinarayi Vijayan had demanded resignation from then CM Oommen Chandy, stating that an administrator, who is accused of corruption, cannot continue as the chief minister. If he remembers this statement, then he should immediately resign as CM."

This comes backdrop of Customs in their show-cause notice to six accused in the Dollar Smuggling Case revealed that the accused Swapna Suresh and Sarith PS disclosed that Vijayan and former Speaker of Kerala Legislative Assembly, P Sreeramakrishnan had sent foreign currency through UAE Consulate General Office.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Kerala Government received a setback after the Kerala High Court had stayed its notification constituting of a judicial commission, headed by Justice VK Mohanan, to conduct a probe against the ED officers, who are investigating the gold and dollar smuggling case. The state government had alleged that accused Swapna Suresh and Sandeep Nair were compelled to give statements against CM and other officials in the case.

( With inputs from ANI )

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